


Betrayer

by Windona



Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-12
Updated: 2015-09-12
Packaged: 2018-04-20 10:18:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4783730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Windona/pseuds/Windona
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Though it started before finding the holocron, it cannot be denied that it gave her a legacy to embrace.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Betrayer

Barriss never told anyone about the odd holocron she found.

It had been during a battle, exploring the caves of some planet whose name had faded from memory as all the battles bled together. She had gone on ahead to scout, and felt drawn to this one place. The holocron had been buried under dust, but easily retrieved and put into the folds of her robes.

What made the holocron so odd was not just the shape- a pyramid with the tip cut off- nor the color- a wreathing gray and purple- but the feel. It was a quiet, understated thing. It clearly had power, but only if you looked at it. Even Master Luminara did not feel it as Barriss returned to the ship after the battle. It seemed that nobody could sense it.

Of course, the right thing to do would have been to turn it over to the Masters. It was a strange object, and that was what she was taught. But Barriss thought it would be best if she looked over it before handing it over. If it taught them how to be better killers, it would need to be disposed of.

With practiced ease, Barriss squished the disgraceful thought that had been haunting her mind more recently. She was just seeing what the holocron was before handing it over. That was all.

Once she got back to the Temple, she opened the holocron in her quarters. As the holocron opened up, it produced an image of an old woman swathed in robes. The hood shadowed her eyes, but Barriss could tell that the woman was most likely blind or Arkanian, given the color of said eyes. The figure then looked up at her, and spoke.

“If you have opened this holocron, congratulations. You are one of the few with an insightful mind, and the capability of seeing beyond lies and half-truths. You are someone who fulfills a necessary role within the galaxy; therefore, you are worthy of my teachings.

I have taught many; I was once a Jedi, but am no longer. I was betrayed and cast out due to fear, and began my journey to search for the truth. While I hope to pass on my training to a future student, I fear that my words may fall upon deaf ears, or that my teachings may die out. To avoid such a travesty, I have preserved the truth within this holocron. Listen well, and seek true wisdom.”

Barriss’ eyes widened. This was no Jedi- this object could be dangerous! Yet as the figure talked, Barriss stayed her hand and did not close the object. The woman spoke of discovering the truth, and of gaining insight. That was not the teachings of a Sith or Dark Sider. Perhaps it held the answers to the questions that the war had been growing inside Barriss’ mind, and the conflict that was grinding on her.

“As I travel to various war torn worlds to understand the destruction of the Mandalorean Wars and the Jedi Civil War, I wonder why no Jedi master has taken a similar journey. The echoes of these planets traverse the galaxy. The only reason I can find is that they, like at the start of the Mandalorean Wars, refuse to listen.”

She listened for a bit more before shutting the holocron off. These teachings would most likely be taboo. She should not question the wisdom of the Council. They had the larger picture, years of experience, and a greater connection to the Force than she had now.

Yet the holocron’s words about Jedi not truly understanding the effects of war weighed heavy in her mind as she fought in her next battle. Looking around at the next planet dragged into war and ruined for the Republic, Barriss saw the echoes that would spread that the other Jedi showed no concern over. She had noticed such things before, but to know that someone else once thought as her lent her observations greater weight.

Next time she was on Coruscant, Barriss pulled out the holocron and studied it some more.

“Where great tragedy has occurred, with many lives lost so quickly, wounds in the Force are formed,” the figure said. “Such places can channel the Dark Side, and cause nearby Jedi to drown in it.”

Barriss leaned back at the revelation. Of course. The more battles the Jedi fought, the darker they became. Dooku was turning them into Sith. And as the war went on, more Jedi- like Krell- would fall to the Dark Side. Already Jedi were invading native worlds, all in the name of the Republic.

  
The chill of fear ran through her. The Jedi were becoming an army of darkness. She needed to stop it before the Order fell. Barriss grabbed the holocron, and said, “Is there anything that can be done to stop it?”

The holocron changed tracts. “There are methods to avoid detection, and remain unobserved,” it began. Barriss noted the Force techniques; while it would take practice to make it so that even those not expecting to see her would blank her out from memory, any knowledge the holocron could provide would be useful.

In fact, it was in practicing those techniques that allowed Barriss to slip out of the Temple, in search for those protesting the war. If she wished to see the truth, she needed to see how the people she had sworn to protect viewed the Jedi. It was on one of these trips that she met Letta Turmond, and her group of anti-war activists.

*  
She tried asking Master Luminara if the Jedi were really doing the right thing by fighting the war.

Luminara had explained carefully, and to the best of her ability, how it may be difficult but the Jedi were doing their duty, and the right thing, by fighting to end it more quickly.  
As much as Barriss cared for Luminara, she wondered how her master could be so blind.

It seemed that the best anyone could say for when the horror would stop was when the war was over. The war looked like it would never end; anytime the Republic seemed to be gaining ground, the Separatists would find some new intelligence that would lead to them devastating the Republic at a critical battle. And no matter which side was winning, plenty of generals and their padawans were dying. There were so many younglings being moved to Padawan early, and Padwans to knights, solely to fill up the shoes of those who died. The Order was becoming a war machine, not caring how many were sacrificed to this great conflict. Sometimes, it felt like she was the only person who could notice it happening.

Barriss did not manage to banish the tendril of anger that crept in from these thoughts.

When she returned to Coruscant after her last tour of slaughter, she had been pleasantly surprised to see Ahsoka. The fellow Padawan had a cheerful disposition that offset the gloom of the Temple. Barriss found herself wanting to protect that ability. She prayed that Ahsoka would never have to take sleeping pills for a week to avoid the nightmares of blood and smoke.

As Ahsoka described a mission to Onderon, Barriss decided enough was enough. If the Jedi were going to induct the children of civilians into their war, it was time for a demonstration they would listen to.

  
*

  
The odd holocron had taught Barriss many things- including the technique that allowed her to move without being seen or remembered. While Jedi did teach a technique that would influence others to believe that there was nothing of note, it did not work on those who looked directly at someone or who were on high alert. And there was no place that people were on higher alert than near the jail cell of someone who was accused of planning a terrorist attack on the Jedi Temple.

  
Barriss did not dare try and use this method on Jedi. But the clones did not see her choking Letta, thinking Ahsoka had done it instead. Later that night, they did not see her kill them and place a key card in front of Ahsoka’s cell.

The plan had gone spectacularly wrong, but it could be salvaged. Barriss just had to arrange for an internal investigation. Ahsoka was not supposed to have been called in to investigate, and it was a surprise when Ahsoka called her while on the run. But as much as she cared for her friend, she could not let attachments get in the way. So she led Ahsoka astray, took Ventress’ lightsaber and mask, and framed her best friend yet again.

There was some lingering guilt, but Barriss convinced herself it was for the best. Ahsoka would be safer when she was one with the Force than corrupted with the rest of the Jedi. And if Ahsoka managed to be found innocent, then perhaps her eyes will have opened. If only one other person could see the truth, then this whole plot would have been worth it.

  
Of course, Skywalker had to ruin things. For some reason, he actually listened to Ventress and believed her. The man even had the audacity to act as if her betrayal of Ahsoka was a worse crime than the bombing. Clearly his attachment would be his downfall.

Yet it was Skywalker who won the fight. Knowing that she was beaten, Barriss said that she would confess before court. If she was found out anyway, she might as well save an innocent life. It certainly was not due to any attachment.

Looking into Ahsoka’s tired watery eyes as she said Barriss’ name was probably the hardest thing she had to do since hatching this plot.  
*  
She was quickly shuffled away to be put into prison. They had confiscated her lightsabers and patted her down for any other weapons, then scanned her for any nano droids. Like she would be so foolish as to set herself up for death.

The guards, despite their extra precautions, were lax. They did not realize how powerful of an ally the Force was. As the hours dwindled, and the last hour of the night shift began, Barriss relaxed and cloaked her presence from the cameras in her cell.

The door opened, and clones swarmed into her cell. Using the technique that came so easily to her, Barriss stepped through them without anyone taking notice of her. She went to the evidence room and took out her lightsabers, and headed out of the complex into the night with little regret. After all, the galaxy needed its betrayers. And with her, there would always be a Darth Traya.

**Author's Note:**

> This was not really edited, and I may improve upon it one day. The idea came from the fact that in Fugitive Arc, Barriss somehow manages to get into a military base without being seen or detected and strangle Letta. After playing KotOR 2, I realized that's something Kreia is able to do, and Barriss would make a good Darth Traya. (Should be noted that the holocron in this fic didn't influence Barriss- merely provided instruction).


End file.
